Abstract: Application notification tag techniques are described. Implementations are described in which a representation of an application may include notifications that pertain to the application. Techniques are further described which may be used to manage the notifications, including replacement of notifications, use of queues, overrides, selection of notifications based on execution state of an application, cycling a display of a plurality of notifications, cycling a display of different subsets of notifications, examination of a manifest of an application to determine criteria to be used to display the notifications, display priority of the notifications, and so on.

Abstract: A restoration process for restoring surface porosity defects on a component surface. The areas of a component surface having surface porosity defects are identified for restoration. The restoration surface is subsequently sprayed with a restoration spray to restore the surface porosity defects. The component surface is then finished to create a final component substantially free of surface porosity.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a connecting rod for an engine contemplates creating a rough connecting rod from high carbon steel. The rough connecting rod is normalized to provide strength and toughness characteristics to the core of the connecting rod for functional operation. A first, second or both ends of the connecting rod are selectively induction hardened to create a durable martensitic structure in those ends. The connecting rod is then cracked and ground to form a final connecting rod for use in internal combustion engines.

Abstract: An animal cage including a plurality of joined walls defining an interior and presenting a first opening for accessing the interior. A door that is mounted over the first opening is moveable between closed and open positions alternately limiting and allowing access to the interior. A divider is operable from outside the cage to removably engage at least one of the walls for dividing the interior into first and second chambers. The divider presents an opening for passage between the chambers. A door panel is supported by the divider and is moveable relative to the divider between a closed position blocking the opening in the divider and an open position allowing passage between the first and second chambers. The cage may comprise a cage run consisting of one or more elongated enclosures that can be divided with the removable dividers into a plurality of cage compartments.

Abstract: A targeted mass mailing system and method including use of a pre-engineered subassembly. The subassembly is a unit of printable substrate which is processed according to at least one client-specified rule and which includes a unique identifier having associated code that drives manufacturing of the subassembly into a final assembly that constitutes at least one component of a mailing package, wherein the printable substrate may include at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic and foil, wherein the at least one component includes at least one mailing package insert and/or a mailing package container, wherein processing includes, but is not limited to, at least one of printing, folding, cutting, perforating, trimming, gluing, slitting, die-cutting, personalizing, matching, tipping, affixing, inserting, flipping, inverting, on-serting, labeling, enclosing and enveloping of the unit, and wherein the unique identifier is preferably removable.

Abstract: A passive secondary air muffler for a small internal combustion engine. The secondary air muffler may include a venturi device and a catalytic converter. The venturi device may be in the form of a stamped sheet metal insert which, along with the outer muffler housing or shell, forms a secondary or auxiliary air intake device. The venturi device may also be formed from baffles separating an inlet chamber from an outlet chamber of the muffler. The secondary air intake device provides auxiliary or secondary air to the exhaust gas stream exiting the engine upstream of the catalytic converter to improve the efficiency of the catalytic converter. In an exemplary embodiment, the venturi device has a hemispherical cross-sectional shape or a circular cross-sectional shape taken along a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the exhaust gas stream.

Abstract: A restoration process for restoring surface porosity defects resulting from the casting process in metal cast products. The areas of a cast product having surface porosity defects are identified and the areas not containing surface porosity defects are masked using an adhesive, reusable, rubberized mask. The masked surface is subsequently cleaned and a metal spray is applied to the surface porosity defects. The mask is removed and the restored surface porosity defects are hand finished to create a cast product having less than 0.05% surface porosity.

Abstract: An aluminum silicon die cast alloy having a very low iron content and relatively high strontium content that prevents soldering to dies into die casting process. The alloys of the present invention also have a modified eutectic silicon and modified iron morphology, when iron is present, resulting in low microporosity and high impact properties. The alloy comprises 6-22% by weight silicon, 0.05 to 0.20% by weight strontium and the balance aluminum. Preferably, the alloy of the present invention contains in weight percent: 6-20% silicon, 0.05-0.10% strontium, 0.40% maximum iron and most preferably 0.20% maximum iron, 4.5% maximum copper, 0.50% maximum manganese, 0.60% maximum magnesium, 3.0% maximum zinc, balance aluminum. On cooling from the solution temperature, the strontium serves to modify the eutectic silicon structure as well as create an iron phase morphology change if iron is present, facilitating feeding through the aluminum interdendritic matrix.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for deconstructing or “reverse engineering” one or more documents into a workflow process by identifying various phases, steps, and questions that arise from the document. Using an editing tool, a user selects text portions of a document and specifies one or more workflow parameters associated with the text, such as a question that will be generated to elicit information corresponding to the selected text. The document is tagged and used to generate a data structure used to execute the workflow process at a later time. The data structure can be modified to change the workflow structure.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a solid oxide fuel cell stack. The solid oxide fuel cell stack includes at least two solid oxide fuel cells. The two solid oxide fuel cells share a common electrode.

Abstract: A number of embodiments of a piston may have a shape that provides enhanced piston guidance. In such embodiments, the piston shape may include an axial profile that is configured to provide certain thrust load characteristics.

Abstract: A method for the continuous manufacturing of complex cast articles utilizing one or more fluidized beds for heat treatment and aging purposes is herein disclosed. The inventive method contemplates in-line casting, heat treating, quenching, aging and machining of a complex cast aluminum alloy article, such as an engine block or engine block head. Specific advantages of the heat treatment and aging stops of the method of the present invention are herein disclosed.

Abstract: A number of embodiments of a piston may have a shape that provides enhanced piston guidance. In such embodiments, the piston shape may include an axial profile that is configured to provide certain thrust load characteristics.

Abstract: A system and a method for managing data among devices, servers and systems by providing a logically unified and aggregated view of a user's digital assets including metadata from any system node or device. This invention describes a method supporting the aggregated view by using manifests. A manifest is a file/database that includes data about all media assets within a user's virtual collection.

Abstract: A passive secondary air muffler for a small internal combustion engine. The secondary air muffler may include a venturi device and a catalytic converter. The venturi device may be in the form of a stamped sheet metal insert which, along with the outer muffler housing or shell, forms a secondary or auxiliary air intake device. The venturi device may also be formed from baffles separating an inlet chamber from an outlet chamber of the muffler. The secondary air intake device provides auxiliary or secondary air to the exhaust gas stream exiting the engine upstream of the catalytic converter to improve the efficiency of the catalytic converter. In an exemplary embodiment, the venturi device has a hemispherical cross-sectional shape or a circular cross-sectional shape taken along a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the exhaust gas stream.

Abstract: Previously cached data that includes contextual information is transferred between wireless devices. A first wireless device that is highly mobile is arranged to receive data from an external data source for storage on the first wireless device. The first wireless device subsequently travels to another locale where a second wireless device is located. After the wireless devices discover one another, cached data is transferred from the first wireless device to the second wireless device such that the cached data is replicated including contextual information. Each wireless device is configured to process data according to a set of acquisition rules and/or user preferences so that the cached data is managed according context. The cached data is effectively replicated by the wireless devices such that the cached data originating from the external data source is made available to wireless devices that are otherwise unable to retrieve data from the external data source.

Abstract: An aluminum-silicon lost foam casting alloy having reduced microporosity and a method for casting the same is herein disclosed. A preferred lost foam cast alloy consists essentially of 6 to 12% by weight silicon and preferably 9.0 to 9.5% by weight silicon, 0.035-0.30% strontium, 0.40% maximum iron, 0.45% maximum copper, 0.49% maximum manganese, 0.60% maximum magnesium, 3.0% maximum zinc, and the balance aluminum. Most preferably, the lost foam alloy is free from iron, titanium and boron. However, such elements may exist at trace levels. Most preferably, the alloy is lost foam cast with the process that applies at least 10 atmospheres of pressure during solidification. However, the range may be 5 to 60 atmospheres. The strontium addition is greater than 0.005% by weight and most preferably greater than 0.05% by weight.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically identifying customers with potential for completing a transaction and facilitating the transaction is provided herein. Visitors to a website or listing posted thereon may be identified and characterized according to publicly available information and/or other information provided by the visitor. Attributes of a visitor may be compared to one or more predefined evaluation variables and criteria. The evaluation variables and criteria are used to determine a probability that the visitor will complete a transaction. Points may be assigned for matching variables. Visitors may be categorized according to a determining probability. If a visitor has a sufficiently high probability, a counterparty to the transaction may be contacted. A transaction system may further be used to facilitate the transaction between the visitor and the counterparty. The variables and algorithms used to evaluate visitors may further be refined based on information from completion of past transactions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an evaporative emissions control system for small internal combustion engines. The fuel tank of the engine includes a filler neck closed by a fuel tank cap which seals the fuel tank in a manner in which air and/or fuel vapors are not permitted to pass between the filler neck and the fuel tank cap. The fuel tank cap includes a first, one-way vacuum relief valve therein which operates to allow atmospheric make-up air to enter the fuel tank to replace a decreasing amount of fuel in the fuel tank during running of the engine, or otherwise as needed. The fuel tank cap additionally includes a second, one-way pressure relief valve having a first cracking threshold which operates to relieve high pressures within the fuel tank. Additionally, the fuel supply line between the fuel tank and the carburetor includes a fuel flow inhibiting or blocking member having a second cracking threshold greater than the first cracking threshold of the pressure relief valve of the fuel tank cap.

Abstract: A number of embodiments of a piston may have a shape that provides enhanced piston guidance. In such embodiments, the piston shape may include an axial profile that is configured to provide certain thrust load characteristics.